Posted on Sep 8, 2015
"Colonel: Soldiers Should Not 'Impose' On All Afghan Customs, Including Child Rape"
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From: Breitbart
United States soldiers should tolerate all Afghan customs, even if they go against American moral values, suggested Col. Steve Johnson, referring to a decorated Green Beret who has been reprimanded by the U.S. Army for “striking” a child rapist in Afghanistan back in September 2011.
“You cannot try to impose American values and American norms onto the Afghan culture because they’re completely different… We can report and we can encourage them,” Col. Johnson told The News Tribune. “We do not have any power or the ability to use our hands to compel them to be what we see as morally better.”
The practice of influential men using underage boys as their sexual patterns, known as “Bacha Bazi,” is an illegal but common custom in Afghanistan.
Sgt. First Class (SFC) Charles Martland, the Green Beret, is expected to be kicked out of the Army by November 1.
Johnson’s comments drew the ire of Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) who, along with severRep. Al Green (D-TX) Beret veterans, argues that the Army should not discharge Martland for standing up to the alleged rapist, identified as Afghan local police (ALP) commander Abdul Rahman.
The incident took place in Afghanistan’s Kunduz province.
Hunter, a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, declared that the Army’s decision to dismiss Sgt. Martland shows the “moral decay” currently afflicting military leadership. Rep. Hunter told Breitbart News:
Martland’s experience shows the type of moral decay among certain aspects of military leadership—starting at the top. In fact, had he not intervened in my opinion, that should have been grounds for removal. At what point will Army leadership stand up for Martland for doing the right thing? Instead, they continue to hide behind a process that seems to makes most sense, in the case specifically, to an Afghan rapist who was happy to see Martland pulled from duty.
Rep. Hunter, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, has written three letters to Defense Secretary Ashton Carter asking him to intervene in the Army’s case against the Green Beret, for the purpose of granting him his wish to continue serving in the U.S. Army.
Sgt. Martland admitted “striking” the alleged rapist accused of kidnapping, chaining, and raping a 12-year-old boy and then beating his mother for pleading for help. The local police commander reportedly laughed about committing the crimes.
Rep. Duncan Hunter disagrees with Col. Johnson’s comments about U.S. soldiers having to tolerate all Afghan customs even if they go against American moral values.
“It is, in fact, a fundamental duty for our military to project American power, strength, and values,”wrote the congressman in the most recent letter addressed to Sec. Carter, dated September 1. “The ALP commander’s action was a human rights violations—and SFC Martland was right to step in and attempt to protect the child from further harm.”
Duncan also noted that Col. Johnson, in talking to The News Tribune, claimed the alleged rapist was “an inch from his death” after he was assaulted by Sgt. Martland and Quinn.
A cultural adviser and linguist who witnessed the incident contradicted those allegations, telling the office of Rep. Hunter, on condition of anonymity, that the rapist exaggerated the nature of his wounds, adding that the provincial police chief “strongly condemned” the alleged rapist and suggested that “he should be dismissed, arrested and put away.”
The police chief commended Sgt. Martland for confronting the Afghan police commander who allegedly laughed when approached by Martland.
Prior to the September 2011 incident, Col. Steve Johnson commanded Sgt. Charles Martland when he was the commander in the Army’s 1st Special Forces Group.
Johnson was in Afghanistan when Martland and Capt. Daniel Quinn, his Green Beret team leader, approached Rahman for allegedly kidnapping, chaining, and raping a 12-year-old boy and then beating his mother for reaching out to the Green Berets for help.
The Army reprimanded Martland and Quinn, relieving them from their duties in Afghanistan’s Kunduz province where the incident took place back in 2011.
Quinn has since taken a private sector job in New York. Sgt. Martland is fighting to stay in the military.
Sgt. Martland is now facing involuntary discharge from the Army.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Army and the public affairs office for the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, citing the Privacy Act, told Breitbart News that the Army was unable to confirm whether or not the September 2011 incident is linked to its decision to remove Martland.
When Breitbart News asked for a comment on accusations that the Army had chosen to side with the rapist instead of Sgt. Martland, the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, said, “The Privacy Act prevents us from releasing any additional information about the administrative action taken regarding this topic.”
When the 2011 incident occurred, Sgt. Martland was serving with an elite Joint Base Lewis-McChord unit.
http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2015/09/02/colonel-u-s-soldiers-should-not-impose-on-all-afghan-customs-including-child-rape/
United States soldiers should tolerate all Afghan customs, even if they go against American moral values, suggested Col. Steve Johnson, referring to a decorated Green Beret who has been reprimanded by the U.S. Army for “striking” a child rapist in Afghanistan back in September 2011.
“You cannot try to impose American values and American norms onto the Afghan culture because they’re completely different… We can report and we can encourage them,” Col. Johnson told The News Tribune. “We do not have any power or the ability to use our hands to compel them to be what we see as morally better.”
The practice of influential men using underage boys as their sexual patterns, known as “Bacha Bazi,” is an illegal but common custom in Afghanistan.
Sgt. First Class (SFC) Charles Martland, the Green Beret, is expected to be kicked out of the Army by November 1.
Johnson’s comments drew the ire of Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) who, along with severRep. Al Green (D-TX) Beret veterans, argues that the Army should not discharge Martland for standing up to the alleged rapist, identified as Afghan local police (ALP) commander Abdul Rahman.
The incident took place in Afghanistan’s Kunduz province.
Hunter, a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, declared that the Army’s decision to dismiss Sgt. Martland shows the “moral decay” currently afflicting military leadership. Rep. Hunter told Breitbart News:
Martland’s experience shows the type of moral decay among certain aspects of military leadership—starting at the top. In fact, had he not intervened in my opinion, that should have been grounds for removal. At what point will Army leadership stand up for Martland for doing the right thing? Instead, they continue to hide behind a process that seems to makes most sense, in the case specifically, to an Afghan rapist who was happy to see Martland pulled from duty.
Rep. Hunter, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, has written three letters to Defense Secretary Ashton Carter asking him to intervene in the Army’s case against the Green Beret, for the purpose of granting him his wish to continue serving in the U.S. Army.
Sgt. Martland admitted “striking” the alleged rapist accused of kidnapping, chaining, and raping a 12-year-old boy and then beating his mother for pleading for help. The local police commander reportedly laughed about committing the crimes.
Rep. Duncan Hunter disagrees with Col. Johnson’s comments about U.S. soldiers having to tolerate all Afghan customs even if they go against American moral values.
“It is, in fact, a fundamental duty for our military to project American power, strength, and values,”wrote the congressman in the most recent letter addressed to Sec. Carter, dated September 1. “The ALP commander’s action was a human rights violations—and SFC Martland was right to step in and attempt to protect the child from further harm.”
Duncan also noted that Col. Johnson, in talking to The News Tribune, claimed the alleged rapist was “an inch from his death” after he was assaulted by Sgt. Martland and Quinn.
A cultural adviser and linguist who witnessed the incident contradicted those allegations, telling the office of Rep. Hunter, on condition of anonymity, that the rapist exaggerated the nature of his wounds, adding that the provincial police chief “strongly condemned” the alleged rapist and suggested that “he should be dismissed, arrested and put away.”
The police chief commended Sgt. Martland for confronting the Afghan police commander who allegedly laughed when approached by Martland.
Prior to the September 2011 incident, Col. Steve Johnson commanded Sgt. Charles Martland when he was the commander in the Army’s 1st Special Forces Group.
Johnson was in Afghanistan when Martland and Capt. Daniel Quinn, his Green Beret team leader, approached Rahman for allegedly kidnapping, chaining, and raping a 12-year-old boy and then beating his mother for reaching out to the Green Berets for help.
The Army reprimanded Martland and Quinn, relieving them from their duties in Afghanistan’s Kunduz province where the incident took place back in 2011.
Quinn has since taken a private sector job in New York. Sgt. Martland is fighting to stay in the military.
Sgt. Martland is now facing involuntary discharge from the Army.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Army and the public affairs office for the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, citing the Privacy Act, told Breitbart News that the Army was unable to confirm whether or not the September 2011 incident is linked to its decision to remove Martland.
When Breitbart News asked for a comment on accusations that the Army had chosen to side with the rapist instead of Sgt. Martland, the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, said, “The Privacy Act prevents us from releasing any additional information about the administrative action taken regarding this topic.”
When the 2011 incident occurred, Sgt. Martland was serving with an elite Joint Base Lewis-McChord unit.
http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2015/09/02/colonel-u-s-soldiers-should-not-impose-on-all-afghan-customs-including-child-rape/
Army
Afghanistan
Customs and Courtesies
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 151
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Throw that Colonel out. It is not a custom to rape children. That goes against everyone's moral values.
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Child rape is a custom? In whose friggin, twisted, warped sense of reality?
I don't give a rats ass where your from, where you grew up, what your cultural teachings were but I can pretty much say with certainty that child rape is not acceptable except to those sick scumbags who do it.
I don't know anyone who has a brain and sense of decency who would not step in and stop something this vile from happening or at least take some action to stop it. I also think that Sgt. Martland showed more restraint by not ending that scumbags existence.
I don't give a rats ass where your from, where you grew up, what your cultural teachings were but I can pretty much say with certainty that child rape is not acceptable except to those sick scumbags who do it.
I don't know anyone who has a brain and sense of decency who would not step in and stop something this vile from happening or at least take some action to stop it. I also think that Sgt. Martland showed more restraint by not ending that scumbags existence.
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If I was in that SFC's shoes, I would have done more than "striking". I don't care what nationality custom it is. Hard to believe the lack of spine the upper chain of command there have.
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We definitely need to realign our focus to preserving our heritage and culture here in the United States. The problem is so many people in this country feel like we need to set the world standard by being the text book example of a perfect country. What they don't realize is that in this feeble attempt to achieve this goal we are destroying our own culture in the process.
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Unfortunately, no. I think that he erred in striking the Afghan Police Chief as opposed to detaining him for Afghan authorities to deal with him in accordance with standing orders and a asked and answered clarification on the subject.
His big mistake, though was to bring embarrassment to political level leaders in the US Government, a cardinal sin these days. While there are those who will come to his defense, his senior leaders will not be among them.
His big mistake, though was to bring embarrassment to political level leaders in the US Government, a cardinal sin these days. While there are those who will come to his defense, his senior leaders will not be among them.
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1SG (Join to see)
I didn't say I liked it, Cpl James Waycasie. But I'll bet I'm correct on the outcome.
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1SG (Join to see)
No arguments from me, Cpl James Waycasie. I'd have had a hard time keeping my hands off this turd, too.
That SF Team was most likely doing Village Stability Operations, where they live in town and become part of the landscape. They would have been compelled to act, and shut down from higher if they had asked. So they exercised initiative and a crap storm ensued.
What I can say from firsthand knowledge is that the Afghans are impassively brutal people by nature. The Police Chief would have smiled at them while he shrugged and said "so what". They really don't think they are wrong.
That SF Team was most likely doing Village Stability Operations, where they live in town and become part of the landscape. They would have been compelled to act, and shut down from higher if they had asked. So they exercised initiative and a crap storm ensued.
What I can say from firsthand knowledge is that the Afghans are impassively brutal people by nature. The Police Chief would have smiled at them while he shrugged and said "so what". They really don't think they are wrong.
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Cpl James Waycasie
Sgt Richard Buckner - We were taught to follow orders but we were taught also to do the right thing. It doesn't take very much common sense to know a stand down order on this behavior is not the right thing. What the active duty personnel should do is the whole Platoon, or company, or whatever size unit it is should all go and stop it. If all troops rose and decided to stop it, Our Admin couldn't do diddly about it. If all do it you can't yank them all out and put them on trial.
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At which point I'd have to ask, "What the hell are we here for, then?"
We killed bin-Laden; we should declare victory and pull out. After the Chinese move in, they'll look back on the American era as "the good old days".
We killed bin-Laden; we should declare victory and pull out. After the Chinese move in, they'll look back on the American era as "the good old days".
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Wow, I'm reading down these comments and see several "Officers" saying it's a" cultural thing" So friggen what? does that mean it is acceptable? Is this what our Officers in the military have become?, Raping young boys is acceptable because it's cultural? Sin is sin I don't care what you call it and those condoning it or ignoring it are just as guilty as those participating in my book. All you so called Officers that are saying it's a cultural thing and not condemning it, all I can say is thank God I didn't have to serve under any of you ignorant fools.
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Cpl James Waycasie
Sgt Richard Buckner - I can tell since joining Rally Point, there has been a lot of changes in the Military and attitudes since I was in and not for the better.
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Our Governments Foreign Policy's at it's best. "Look the other way" Thank you Commander and Chief, lets continue to Create the Enemy's of the future by Looking the other way. Thank God I was not an Obama Marine. Retaliations for doing what our Men are supposed to do, PROTECT and fight for The innocent. Hanging your Military members out to dry for going on 8yrs. Fucking "Big Green Weenie" Very Unsat "Look the other way" an unlawful Order and You Generals and Government over site Committees know it.
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LCpl Steve Smith
Col. Brian Tribus, wrote in an email: “Generally, allegations of child sexual abuse by Afghan military or police personnel would be a matter of domestic Afghan criminal law.” He added that “there would be no express requirement that U.S. military personnel in Afghanistan report it.” An exception, he said, is when rape is being used as a weapon of war." Really? So Regular Rape is ok? Such weak ass bullshit! It gets TV air time when it's ISIS or the Taliban doing it to gain public outrage, but it's ok when our Allies do it. know wonder the rest of the world hates us.
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Cpl James Waycasie
LCpl Steve Smith - I can't believe there are Officers on here saying well it's a cultural thing. Methinks I am glad I am not active duty anymore. Some Officers and I might physically butt heads. With the attitude they have I sure hope they don't move to my little area of the USA.
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So if we can't impose our moral values on them, doesn't that kind of decimate the whole "win their hearts and minds" mentality? I think so. Looks like we have to go back to the "old" way of fighting wars, killing as many of them as fast and effectively as possible....
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